Anything and Always
by thekatthatbarks
Summary: In a world where Kakashi was just a civilian and Sakura has a crush on the mysterious man at her favorite bakery.


Sakura always saw him when she went to her favorite bakery. It was probably why it _was_ her favorite bakery. She went there every morning before her shift at the hospital and if she had a mission she'd try and come by. She only had light conversation with him, wishing she knew how to get to know him better. Become friends or even something more if she was being honest with herself. He was beautiful really and mysterious. She was drawn to him the first time she saw him.

He was usually working the counter and every time she had come in, he was there. It made her wonder if he owned the bakery. His name tag read _Kakashi_. His hair was a striking silver and stuck up in almost every direction, but she didn't think he was that old. His skin was still tight and smooth, just the beginning of laugh lines forming around his mouth. His smile made her melt and she was sure she wasn't the only one judging by the dazed looks every woman had when walking away from the counter. His eyes were a dark charcoal and they made her feel warm when he looked at her. And he had a small mole near his mouth that she found just adorable.

He was just a civilian. She'd never seen him outside of the bakery, never in the mission room or at the hospital. A part of her was disappointed, thinking that maybe if he was a shinobi she could have a chance to know him better. But then she was also relieved. Because he was a constant in her life. He'd always be there. She'd been going to the small bakery for three years and he'd rarely missed a day she came by. He wasn't going to suddenly disappear. She wasn't going to see _Kakashi_ etched into the memorial stone. And he wasn't going to die on her during surgery from an injury because of a mission. He was always there and she felt like he always would be.

She went up to the counter to order and he smiled at her softly, "Good morning, Sakura-chan."

She smiled back, leaning against the counter, "Hey, Kakashi. How are you?"

He shrugged, "Alright. I haven't seen you in a while. Were you out on a mission?"

She nodded, looking away from him, "Yeah, I just got back yesterday."

"Good to see you made it home safely," he told her and her heart skipped a beat. She just hoped he couldn't tell she was blushing. It wasn't like he hadn't said something like that to her before. She had just missed him while she was away since her mission had been a few weeks.

She bit her lip, telling him thank you and what she wanted. He got it to her quickly and she sat down at a table near the counter. She glanced at him as she picked at her blueberry muffin. It really was surprising he wasn't a ninja, his muscles were long and smooth under his skin. He moved behind the counter almost gracefully and Sakura had trouble taking her eyes off of him, especially when he smiled even if it wasn't directed at her.

Naruto walked in then, immediately going over to her when he spotted her. He hugged her before sitting down across from her. Without even ordering something for himself, he picked at her muffin and rambled on about what all had happened while she was away. He told her about his last mission and she was paying attention, but her eyes kept drifting to Kakashi behind the counter.

She must have got lost in thought because Naruto suddenly groaned, "Sakura!"

She turned back to him, "Oh, sorry, Naruto. I got distracted. What were you saying?"

He raised an eyebrow at her and glanced at Kakashi, "Why don't you just ask him out already?"

She kicked him under the table and he winced loudly, "What the hell was that for?"

Sakura glared at him, "Keep your voice down!" She looked over at Kakashi but he was thankfully taking an order from a customer. "What if he hears you?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Sakura, you've been crushing on this guy for how long?"

"I have not –"

"I mean he's a little old," Naruto was now openly staring at Kakashi with an odd look, "but if you like him, just say so!"

Sakura sighed and looked down at the remains of her muffin, "It's not that easy, Naruto."

"Yes, it _is_. Come on, Sakura!" Naruto almost yelled and Sakura blushed at just the thought of Kakashi hearing their conversation.

" _Shut up_!" She kicked him again, but no as hard, "We can't all be like you, Naruto, and just say whatever's on our mind."

Naruto waved his hands, "Hey, I get nervous too, Sakura. But that shouldn't stop you!"

Sakura looked at him and he was completely serious, gesturing to the counter and saying, "Just go talk to him."

Sakura bit her lip and looked over at Kakashi. He _was_ alone now, no line. She turned back to Naruto and he gave her a thumbs up. She sighed, already feeling her heart beat like it was going to jump out of her throat, "Okay, uh, do you want anything?"

Naruto shrugged, "I don't care. I'll eat anything."

Sakura chuckled and got up from the table with shaky legs. She glanced back at Naruto one last time to see his encouraging grin and took a deep breath. When she got to the counter, Kakashi smiled at her, glancing at Naruto, "Something else, Sakura-chan? Maybe for your boyfriend?"

Sakura nodded and looked at the menu, saying the first thing she read, "Um, a couple chocolate chip cookies?"

Kakashi got them for her and Sakura suddenly realized what he had said, "Wait!"

Kakashi paused reaching into the display case. He raised an eyebrow at her, "No cookies?"

"No, uh, I mean, yes," Sakura rambled and could feel her face heating up, "I meant um, that Naruto's not my boyfriend or anything. He's great and all, but we're just friends. Best friends actually."

"Oh?" Kakashi asked and she could see his amused smile.

"Yeah, he's even gay so…" Sakura trailed off, wanting to bite off her own tongue. _Why had she said that?_

Kakashi handed her cookies and smiled at her with a nod in Naruto's direction, "Are you trying to talk him up to me?"

Sakura looked at him in surprise as she pulled out her money, "What? No, I, uh –"

Kakashi chuckled, cutting her off as he took the money from her. She was so embarrassed she didn't even notice how his fingers lingered on hers. "I'm just teasing you, Sakura-chan."

She chuckled nervously, "Right."

He raised an eyebrow when she didn't move away and she lost all train of thought when he smiled lopsidedly at her, "Was there anything else you needed, Sakura-chan?"

She stared at him for a second and then chickened out, giving him a small smile, "No, thank you, Kakashi. Have a good day."

She walked back to Naruto, squeezing her eyes shut and running her fingers through her hair. _She was such an idiot._ She sat back in her seat and wanted to slam her head against the table, but knew Kakashi would see her and she would be even more embarrassed. Naruto frowned at her and whispered, "What happened?"

Sakura groaned and replied dejectedly, "I told him you were gay."

Naruto looked at her confused and held up his hands, "Why the hell did you say that?"

Sakura just handed him the cookies, "Because I'm an idiot."

Naruto took them and bit into one, looking at her in sympathy. It annoyed her, but at least he wasn't laughing. When they got up to leave, Naruto held open the door for her and she was about to walk through it when she heard, "Hey, Sakura-chan!"

She looked over her shoulder to see Kakashi walking from around the counter to her. She was so distracted by him running his fingers through his soft looking hair, she didn't hear the bell on the door telling her Naruto had left.

She smiled at him, still feeling her embarrassment from earlier, "Yeah, Kakashi?"

He grinned at her, glancing down as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He almost sounded nervous as he asked her, "Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?"

He looked back up at her and she felt her heart rate pick up. But she managed to close her mouth, which had dropped open in shock, and smiled at him, "Yeah, I'd love to."

Kakashi's shoulders visibly relaxed and his smile was relieved. She told him her address and he said he'd pick her up around seven. Her insides felt warm as she left and when she glanced back her heart almost stopped at Kakashi's smile. It was the most beautiful one she'd seen yet.

Kakashi picked her up just like he'd said and she hoped she wasn't overdressed or underdressed. She didn't go for the dress Ino had picked out for her and chose the outfit Naruto had put together instead. It was a red lowcut blouse with a pair of nice fitting jeans. She pulled her black boots over them just as Kakashi knocked on her door.

He was dressed similarly in a black button up shirt and dark jeans. He told her she looked beautiful and she tried not to blush too deeply as he offered his arm to her and lead them to a restaurant. She was relieved that there weren't any awkward silences between them. She finally got to know the mysterious Kakashi she'd fawned over for years.

He had a lot of dogs, eight to be exact. He loved reading, especially romances. But when he told her he liked _Icha Icha_ , she teased him that it wasn't a romance and was _porn_. Kakashi had laughed and dared her to read them before judging them so harshly, from which she had blushed and told him a firm _no_. It also turned out that he was the owner of the bakery and loved baking.

She was happy that his cool attitude had more to it and that he was more goofy than anything. He was charming and she could barely tell he was just as nervous as she was. He was interested in her and asked her about herself more than anyone ever had. When he found out she was fourteen years younger than him, he said her he'd understand if she thought the age gap was too big. But she had shook her head, saying it didn't matter to her. She was 22 and more of an adult than most of the civilian men she knew. Kakashi was sweet and funny and it felt too good to be true to her.

He told her that he'd had a crush on her for about as long as she had him, but didn't know if she'd be interested in dating a civilian. Like the age gap, though, she said she didn't care. It wasn't uncommon for shinobi to settle down with civilians, but it was usually a shinobi man and a civilian woman. Some of the civilian men were uncomfortable with dating women who were stronger than them. Sakura thought it was bullshit and had told Ino exactly that when she was rejected for that reason alone.

Kakashi didn't care though. He was actually impressed by all her strength and told her just that. He'd heard about all that she had done in the war and how she had been an apprentice under the Godaime. He said he thought she was amazing and Sakura wondered if the smile on her face would ever leave.

He'd held her hand as he walked her home and before he could be a gentleman and just say goodnight, she tugged him down by his shirt and kissed him. The kiss was warm and he held her close to him. Her heart beat erratically in her chest and her fingers were twisted into his hair. It was as soft as she'd imagined and the kiss was better than could have dreamed. Kakashi laughed into her mouth when he tried to pull away for her to only hold onto him tighter.

When she finally let him break away, he kissed her cheek and met her eyes, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nodded, moving out of his arms and towards the door. After she unlocked it, he told her, "Good night, Sakura."

She smiled back, "Sweet dreams, Kakashi."

They went on more dates as the months passed and Sakura never thought she could fall so deeply in love with someone. But she did and it was the best feeling. She missed him while she was away on missions, but it was comforting knowing someone was waiting for her to come home. Someone who kissed her the moment he saw her with relief and a deep affection. Someone that she knew she could slip into bed with that wouldn't ask her questions about why she was shaking after a mission. Or why she sometimes refused to sleep in fear of nightmares. He was there for her no matter what and she never thought she could have that with someone.

She had been worried he might feel out of place amongst all of her shinobi friends, but they loved him and he fit right into their group. He was even friends with one of the older jounin, Gai. She was amused to find out that Gai had a little _rivalry_ going with Kakashi where they would do ridiculous challenges. When she had asked him why he'd started that kind of thing with a civilian, Gai said that he'd felt the _youthful spirit_ from Kakashi the moment he saw him when they were kids. He wasn't challenging Kakashi to anything dangerous or that a civilian couldn't possibly do, so she was fine with it.

Sakura did worry sometimes though, that she wasn't good enough for Kakashi. She had PTSD and baggage she could never expect him to help her carry. She was broken and tainted by war and he deserved so much more than her. She got frustrated sometimes and refused to see anyone when she felt anxious and paranoid, even him. But he stuck with her through it all, even if he couldn't understand her completely. He held her together with strong arms that she felt at home and safe in. He still loved her and she loved him all the more for it.

The first bad mission he'd experienced with her was a year after they'd been dating and she was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. It was three in the morning when she was carried to the hospital almost unconscious as soon as her team had entered the gates and he was there not thirty minutes later. She strained her eyes open when she saw him walk into her room in the baggy sweats and t-shirt she knew he slept in. He looked paler than normal and his eyes were wide when he saw her laid out on the hospital bed.

He didn't say anything as he walked over to her bed and sat at the edge, holding her hand. She looked at him confused, "How'd you know?"

He gave her a small smile, "Naruto came and got me. Told me you were crying out for me on the way home."

Sakura shifted, feeling embarrassed. Not because Kakashi knew that she did that, but because her teammates had heard her. Naruto she was okay with, but the others were her subordinates and they shouldn't see their captain being weak, especially crying out for someone else. She winced at the movement and Kakashi looked at her worriedly, "He told me you were alright. But how are you really?"

She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but she was too tired. She sighed, "I have a stab wound on my side and chakra exhaustion."

He looked at her confused, "But you're a medic? Why didn't you heal yourself?"

She looked down at his hand in hers, comforted by how warm it felt, "One of my teammates was worse off than me and I used up all my chakra to keep him from dying."

Kakashi sighed, but didn't tell her she should have helped herself first. She knew he wouldn't and he didn't even think it either. She was thankful for him, happy that he wasn't selfish enough to ask her to only worry about herself. She knew she scared him sometimes, but she wasn't going to lie to him. And he always told her he appreciated her honesty about how she was really doing. There were some things she kept quiet about it, because he couldn't help her with them and it'd just hurt him. But she'd never lie to him.

"How does chakra exhaustion feel?" he asked her. He knew how it worked, but there was a difference from _knowing_ and _experiencing_ it.

"Like hell," she chuckled humorlessly, "I feel exhausted and can barely move my body. My head hurts and it's like the worst hangover you could ever imagine."

He smiled at her trying to lighten the mood and asked, "Isn't there something they can do?"

She shook her head, "No, I just need rest, Kashi. Don't worry."

He rolled his eyes at her and she guessed it was because she told him not to worry. He was going to regardless of what she said. She tried to nudge him with her hand, "Hey, can you do something for me?"

"Anything."

She felt her heart warm at the word and she tugged on his hand, asking softly, "Hold me?"

Kakashi moved onto the bed and she ignored her pain as she adjusted herself to where she was lying on his chest. He held her gently like he was scared she'd break and in a way she could. She could hear his heartbeat under her ear and it was her favorite lullaby. She was about to let the exhaustion overtake her, but she had to ask him. It was plaguing her mind and she wouldn't be able to sleep without knowing. "Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

"Is this too much for you?" she asked him and she sounded like a small child.

"No, Sakura," he told her sweetly and she felt him kiss her hair, "I love you and being a shinobi is a part of you, so I love it too. I can deal with all of the worry as long as you promise to always try and come home to me."

She sighed happily against him and closed her eyes, "Always."


End file.
